[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6331097,"mediaKeyId","2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34","parentId",2313114,"title","House Higher Education Committee approves minutes, hears presentations from three tribal colleges","audioSeconds",57,"startMs",18505,"endMs",76000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34&start=18&end=76","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34/thumbnail_18505.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6331097/Minnesota/House-Higher-Education-Committee-approves-minutes-hears-presentations-from-three-tribal-colleges","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331097-c028c2a46a43fa44f5a09e917c464315/orig.mp4?Expires=1776186973&Signature=Gz4j5Q6gw7V8K4~kkt-0mCC647ukX931fCpvbawfgoqfA18Ba9cbP~bEDlbmPD3hUcImpMOrxmC8bflUD~iVAr4U7YsszQsdnTmK9nK3ldCN1ynARK-zagrDjpqFosYULZEeeMzYQzSEBbL-L3UsPtN2nErZjlvfpmEfqXmVO90z7OpOXU-X7vSAQQHJE2ZJ45b4gxqa90fOnpSeGm17kCnkZNBl4mJlkwO5n2csEUgMRVa5OuXlJQZzE2toJXjJwz9hatnCf5M78VyaBz9Cn300Vz1LOog9RwMI3QIqDJTyq63Pnw6Lu9aFM3B43KRQXCXEE71m-cbm86nmk55Ajg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MNHouseInfo","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","The House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee convened with a quorum and approved the minutes from its Feb. 11 meeting by voice vote. Representative Robbins moved approval; the motion prevailed after an \"aye\" voice vote and no recorded opposition.

After the minutes, the committee heard presentations from leaders and students at three Minnesota tribal colleges — Red Lake Nation College, Leech Lake Tribal College and White Earth Tribal and Community College — about how state operational funding and other resources were used to support students, expand programs and build facilities. Committee members asked questions and praised outcomes; no committee action or votes were taken on the presentations.

Ending: The committee adjourned after the presentations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 2/13/25","oneSentenceSummary","The committee approved minutes from its Feb. 11 meeting by voice vote and then received presentations from Red Lake Nation College, Leech Lake Tribal College and White Earth Tribal and Community College on use of state operational funding and student outcomes.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331102,"White Earth Tribal and Community College credits new data dashboard, mentoring and micro-credentials with spikes in enrollment and retention",3194,2565215,5760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34&start=2565&end=5760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34/thumbnail_2565215.jpg","/articles/6331102/Minnesota/White-Earth-Tribal-and-Community-College-credits-new-data-dashboard-mentoring-and-micro-credentials-with-spikes-in-enrollment-and-retention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331102-dbfa30f0ba0cd6847af6caf01593f29e/orig.mp4?Expires=1776186973&Signature=lPheMFGqfx6CofyX1c1Hb~Aq-VJxRtuJlq04FVOLs0SL6PgiIZiJfw36SAQc6DN6V-RXYqmoMpFajmLdLwV~GGTlCZqHHD7b8R~odoTsX8t14UsWdwKosc7vlv5XvGsu5miMg4qDGozhVLlY5D-o20KKn54sk1-bStAIE~TeEc0L9lxzf4wNrPH9LgiEQnPZBpydqyr2-FK5KL1mKE3cTyHYc1FmeeHcip~~bkOO4AvNMSBjHbLNQbsuzJtiAlKiwtdwwCFF7NXy6-xSYMMIqLSbKQJKb75BKEoK8ppBPgpfaTV0GV-Ou3ZhlO08xpuqc2bPGmEblnxvqL0MGgDXtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anna Shepherd, president of White Earth Tribal and Community College, and Dr. Tracy Diefenbach, dean and data lead, told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee that a state-funded push to stabilize operations enabled the college to build a live student-success dashboard and student supports that quickly affected outcomes.

Diefenbach said the college used state funds to hire staff and develop a Power BI-based dashboard that connects the student information system and learning-management system to provide near-real-time indicators. \"I can pull any student at any time in any class. I can see if they've communicated with their faculty, if the faculty have communicated back,\" Diefenbach said. She told the committee the dashboard and targeted outreach produced a roughly 16 percent increase in enrollment from fall to spring and a 78 percent jump in student retention over a short period; the college projects further growth by fall 2025.

White Earth officials described other uses of the state funds: hiring student-success coaches, launching peer-mentor networks, integrating micro-credentials (including cybersecurity and workforce certificates) into two-year degrees and expanding community-oriented family learning. Dean Diefenbach said the dashboard has a heat map showing where applicants live and tools to identify students at risk so staff can intervene.

Student testimony described the supports. Deidra Berg, a White Earth student and student senate president, said staff outreach and tutoring helped her enroll and persist despite a history of trauma and substance-use challenges. Finance advisor Jean Ohstrom told the committee that state funding reduced the college's reliance on federal grant contracts and provided flexibility to staff new initiatives; she asked legislators to consider improving the timing of fund releases and easing administrative requirements tied to risk designations.

Members praised the dashboard's potential and encouraged broader sharing of the tool. The college said costs for the dashboard platform and associated services were modest relative to expected benefits and said it is negotiating grant support to make the dashboard available to other tribal colleges.

Ending: White Earth officials invited legislators to visit and said they would continue developing student-centered programs that align credentials with local workforce needs.","White Earth Tribal and Community College officials described an interactive data dashboard, peer-mentoring and micro-credential programs they say helped increase enrollment and term-to-term retention; leaders asked the legislature to continue predictable operational funding to sustain staffing and technology investments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331105,"Leech Lake Tribal College outlines program growth, student barriers and staff wage concerns",3149,2020400,5170000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34&start=2020&end=5170","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34/thumbnail_2020400.jpg","/articles/6331105/Minnesota/Leech-Lake-Tribal-College-outlines-program-growth-student-barriers-and-staff-wage-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331105-4b4bc0051ce96ada5a0ccfc64af4580c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776186973&Signature=icdIaN6Zflut5AwQJ0TqoLGNjXNQTzGQF6FrWGRTxwvwvjPnIDYVqrU1RhRW1MAmDSp4Ii-EDfNoQjbL7kQgQFddiL7~JxW2sycNm46mU8uz7WlEWjzqD9lxwFh56g2HEzXNERxQV8KExIF6iyrm-Fi1XspYYVu3n5AFVgmAQMb9O0LGGqfF1k9dq2fvtEQ~D-q2W4zpRGirePz3qJy1YemOjOT98YxktIEZdM3cxOv75Tr7vsEsglGULVO18RYbhU7MalxtjP1V81CYcY3cmBluyfzEC~2naBP5ovsc9A02UG98pS0ZXN-Wy8mQEiaoYZWTjGssXq3TNpjEzQVxYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Helen Montgomery, president of Leech Lake Tribal College, told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee that the college has grown enrollment and graduation numbers and added programs but still faces persistent student barriers.

Montgomery said Leech Lake Tribal College, a public land-grant institution in Cass Lake established in 1990, recently added an Ojibwe language program, offers an Indigenous Leadership program and a reworked LibEd STEM track, and runs short-term workforce certificates in carpentry and electrical trades. She told lawmakers the college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and reported its largest graduating class in 2023 with about 48 graduates.

Montgomery described practical barriers for students, including long travel times from scattered reservation communities, childcare needs, housing and food insecurity and uneven internet access. \"Over 80 percent of our students have reported that they have in the last year had barriers to accessing food and housing,\" she said, and she added many students complete homework on their phones because of limited computer access.

Montgomery said Leech Lake's average annual budget is about $5 million and that 20 to 30 percent of that funding comes from grant sources; she described the college's dependence on federal funding streams including Title III grants and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) formula funding for Native student counts. She criticized the way the BIE full-time-equivalent calculation treats part-time enrollment, saying it can disadvantage institutions that serve students with barriers to full-time enrollment.

Committee members asked about enrollment trends and implementation plans. Montgomery said enrollment rose substantially after 2021, from roughly 100 students to more than 300 in a recent February census, and that the college had increased about 10 to 16 percent year over year. She said the Minnesota operational funding helped finance student aid, emergency assistance, IT infrastructure and personnel to support reporting and compliance.

Montgomery told the committee she would like to implement a wage scale to improve staff pay and retention but said the college must balance that with funding uncertainty. A student testifier, Alyssa Lisi, said the college provided language instruction, laptops and emergency supports that let her pursue a nursing career.

Ending: Montgomery invited lawmakers to review the college's public reports and said the college would use state funds to shore up IT, recruitment and student retention work.","Leech Lake Tribal College officials told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee that state operational funding helped expand programs and student supports but that the college still faces barriers including transportation, food insecurity, limited internet access and staff pay gaps.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6331110,"Red Lake Nation College cites rising graduation rates, highlights Minneapolis campus and state support",1711,78234,1790000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34&start=78&end=1790","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313114-599a3eff01741513869c9be44d8c2e34/thumbnail_78234.jpg","/articles/6331110/Minnesota/Red-Lake-Nation-College-cites-rising-graduation-rates-highlights-Minneapolis-campus-and-state-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6331110-ed5e0e495eb58d95b50d6312f7cb5fb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1776186973&Signature=nzw-RUVfgAkBtX~qqAlXbjzzyJq~qaLaCkaVGVniswzFHgvC9fUiakYSk2ar3oz93utJfhBc-3ePZp3C5XX1U2n-iCizK4ewkxdXl~YnDJTtCEFB9CUTX1v2rCfCrUjdoyApTE~pK6eHVZQzNCB-Ng0eRhzT1FI7-I-snHQC9KLEpRDeV7leevdk-A5rfvQ0P6DZoGMIkzSaRluAZhfkoofH3wk96xzdWCs~vMh6GveXWYjThlOvqnLJGfbALFdSuB6BwhOW8wN1mIW3gqwKoii7NDAf2qp2R-ydWpZQvwK9xD7M2cHSGrEi6OcYKjPVK7UOPqx1dCTeUviIrblUeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Dan King, president of Red Lake Nation College, told the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee on behalf of his college that its three-year graduation rate has climbed to about 53 percent and that enrollment has grown rapidly in recent years.

King spoke to the committee about the college's mission, student supports and the Minneapolis campus during a presentation on operations and maintenance funding for tribal colleges. He said the state provided a $1 million annual operational appropriation for each tribal college in the 2023-25 biennium and that the state also contributed a $3 million bonding allocation to help finish the Minneapolis facility.

The presentation emphasized access and wraparound services. \"We build people up,\" King said, adding that Red Lake Nation College focuses on small classes, one-on-one attention and cultural programming that the college describes as its \"secret sauce.\" King said 70 percent of the college's staff and faculty are Native and that the college offers no student loans for the first two years, relying instead on tribal scholarships and emergency funds.

Student speakers described personal effects of that approach. Eddie Visner, a Red Lake student who returned to college after a long career in gaming, said, \"Being at Red Lake College, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.\" Student Alyssa Fisher Visner said the college's mandatory Ojibwe-language classes helped strengthen her cultural identity and that she will transfer to the University of Minnesota after graduation.

King told the committee the Minneapolis site was sited to serve the large Native population in the Twin Cities and to be accessible by transit. He said construction and furnishing costs for the Minneapolis site ultimately totaled about $16 million after pandemic-related cost increases; he said the tribe and college used a combination of tribal funds, college development funds and federal COVID relief monies to finance the project and that the state bond helped close a gap.

Committee members praised the college's outcomes and noted the state appropriation's role. Representative Keeler, who earlier helped secure the state operational funding, attended the presentation at the table and was thanked repeatedly by witnesses for her support.

The committee did not take formal action on the presentation; members invited the college to provide additional material and encouraged lawmakers to visit campus.

Ending: King invited committee members to visit the Red Lake campus or the Minneapolis site and to follow up with college staff for more information.","At a House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee hearing, Red Lake Nation College President Dan King described enrollment and graduation gains, the college's Minneapolis site and how state and tribal funding support student services and debt-free two-year attendance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House Higher Education Committee approves minutes, hears presentations from three tribal colleges

White Earth Tribal and Community College credits new data dashboard, mentoring and micro-credentials with spikes in enrollment and retention

Leech Lake Tribal College outlines program growth, student barriers and staff wage concerns

Red Lake Nation College cites rising graduation rates, highlights Minneapolis campus and state support